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Monday, February 25, 2008

Solid Surface Sink. If It's Broke, Replace It.

NATIONWIDE SOLID SURFACE and STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If the sink is broken, it needs to be replaced. It doesn't need to be sanded, it doesn't need to have glue squirted into the crack, it just needs to be replaced.

I hate to drive that home too often but it just needs to be said. At least it needs to be said here. This is where you come to find out about this stuff. So there, I said it.

Now, on to some pictures!

See, there's a nasty solid surface sink. Well, the sink isn't nasty, but that crack sure is.


This is what happens to a sink when it is cracked. It has to be removed, then another one, usually the identical model but sometimes different models, will be reinstalled in place. Total downtime for kitchen, under 6 hours.


Now you have the new sink in place and the kitchen is back up and running. At this time I would be giving the customers a speech about solid surface sink care.


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Thursday, February 21, 2008

Solid Surface Countertop Repairs.

As always, this crack has been outlined in pencil for clarity.

One of the most important rooms in the house is the kitchen. Whether you are in there to eat or your just hanging out watching tv and talking with friends and family, the kitchen is the main hangout in a lot of homes. Anymore, people have telivisions and computer epquipment right in there with them. Dining room and den combinations are very popular.

In a room that gets that much attention, you don't want the main workhorse and focal point to look like pooh. Countertops that are all beat up looking with scratches and cracks in them can make the most popular room not all that appealing. Not to mention the fact that it kind of hurts your feelings to know that you have to spend another $3000-$10,000 to replace them all and get back the inviting feeling of the all important kitchen.

Guess what? You don't have to worry yourself with that!. These days, you can have your countertop cracks repaired with virtually no sign of ever having had a problem at all. The same goes for your ugly, dingy, cracked up sink.

It really is incredible the kind of magic that a qualified countertop repair specialist can do for your tops. You have a crack that is 6" long and has turned dark black on your gorgeous white countertop? That's okay, it can be repaired. I don't mean just patched, I mean repaired, fixed, restored, brought back to brand new condition.

Also, something that people worry about sometimes is the fact that since it has been repaired, is it more likely to crack again and have to be repaired over and over. The answer is absolutely not. More often than not, the area that has been repaired actually is a lot more stable than it was even before it was cracked.

In talking to several countertop repair companies and even the big manufacturers of countertops, I have found that it is almost unheard of for a repair technician to be called back to a house for the same repair. Normally, if you have the pleasure of meeting a countertop repair man at your home, you better enjoy the visit because chances are, you will never have another reason to see them again, unless of course you have set up a maintanence program with them.

Once you see that you have a problem, it is a good idea to go ahead and schedule an appointment to get your tops fixed. While your countertops are not exactly alive, they do have a progressive quality about them and small cracks tend to get larger over time. The larger and more active the cracking is, the more work the repair man has to do and the more it will cost you. For this reason, it is good to go ahead and shell out the money for the repair early on rather than wait until your 6" straight crack becomes a zig zagged eyesore that resembles the path of the Colorado River.

The same goes for the sink in your countertop, if it is a solid surface sink and it is starting to crack, it is even more important to make a move to get that fixed becasue if it cracks open then of course you have more repairs to make because then you have water damage to contend with.

In conclusion, don't let a small crack get big, don't agonize over the thousands of dollars that you will have to spend on replacing your tops, and don't worry about the longevity of the repairs. The repairs are permanent, reliable, and can completely turn around that usettled feeling that you get everytime you look at your ugly, cracked up investment.
See. All better.



SOLID SURFACE and STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR in NORTH CAROLINA

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Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Granite Tile Countertop Repair.

Here is a granite tile countertop that has a couple of holes that need to go away. Abracadabra! Nationwide Surface Repair



No more holes in the tile.


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Tuesday, February 19, 2008

How To Remove Scratches On Solid Surface Countertops

There are lots of places that you can read about how to remove scratches in a solid surface countertop. Well, you are right here right now so you can read it here too. The only difference is, the twist at the end.

When you got your solid surface countertop put in you probably got a care kit with them. In this kit you got some sand paper and some scouring pads and maybe a polish or cleaner of some kind. Depending on which brand of countertop you bought you may even have gotten a video that shows you what to do.

Basically the process is this:

Step 1. Sand the scratched area with the lowest grit of paper. Probably 120 grit.

Step 2. Sand the scratched area again with the next highest grit of sandpaper. Probably 220 grit. Be sure to sand a slightly larger area with each sanding process.

Step 3. Sand the scratched area again with the next highest grit of sandpaper. Probably 320 grit. Be sure to sand a slightly larger area with each sanding process.

Step 4. In a motion similar to sanding, go over the sanded area with the scouring pad that you were provided. (probably green or white)

Step 5. Wipe down the affected area with the polish that you were given.

Here's the twist. That is the process. The problem is, your tops are still not going to look the same as they did. I'll bet you never read that part anywhere else before. The scratch will be gone but now you almost certainly have a very busy and confused looking area where the damage was.

That is the process. Try this process first. If you are unhappy with the results then it is time to have it done by a professional. If you have a solid surface cutting board or cutout from a cooktop or sink, then you can try this process on a that and see if you would be happy with the results in your actual kitchen before you launch into a feverish sanding attack on your beautiful countertops. Now, go read how NOT to remove scratches on solid surface countertops!

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Sunday, February 17, 2008

Tips To Keep From Damaging Your Corian® Sink


For the purposes of this article I am going to refer to Corian® sinks but the information is the same for all brands of solid surface sinks.

People love to have a Corian® sink installed in their Corian® countertops. And why not? They are elegant and functional. The undercounter installation makes it a breeze to sweep the crumbs from the countertop right into the sink and there is nothing sticking up around the sink to catch crumbs and get dirty.

It just stands to reason that when a homeowner has a chunk busted out of the sink or a crack shows up from out of nowhere, they get all bent out of shape. It is not cheap to replace a corian sink. A professional repair fabricator can do it and you would never know that it had been replaced, except of course the damage is gone. But here are some tips to keep you from paying the repair man.

1. Never drain hot water directly into the sink when it is cold. Before you drain the vegetables or pasta water out into the sink, be sure to run hot (not scalding, but quite hot) water into the sink to prevent thermo shock.

2. Always try to hit the drain while draining hot water. Now, you don't have to be perfect about this so don't freak out if you can't get the water in the drain without hitting the sink. It's just a good idea to get most of the hottest water right into the drain itself instead of getting it on the sink.

3. You can also fill the sink bowl about 1/4 of the way full of water or a little more if you want. Then pour the hot water into the sink and drain it then, after the water is cool enough for you to reach into the drain and unplug it. Don't burn yourself over it.

4. Put a rubber mat in the bottom of the sink. It will absorb the impact of things that are hard enough to cause damage to the sink. It will also provide extra protection against the tips of knives and forks.


Follow these tips and prolong the life of your Corian® sink.
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Saturday, February 16, 2008

Granite Bathroom Vanity Refinish


Here is a granite vanity top that is in very bad need of a facelift. Some people refer to it as a rebuff, a resurfacing, polishing. Whatever you want to call it, there is no doubt that it certainly is in need of serious help.




And here is the countertop after its serious helpfinally arrived. Not too bad huh?




SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR IN NORTH CAROLINA!

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Friday, February 15, 2008

Granite Faucet Crack


Today I finally have a couple of good shots of a really nice
granite repair.

This first one is a granite top that has cracked around the faucet. More than likely what caused the granite to crack is that the faucet was on too tight. Granite is tough stuff but the same rules apply as far as not tightening plumbing fixtures too much. Snug, but not too tight.


This is the countertop after the repair. Just beautiful!


IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!

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Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Not much going on today.

Well, today is one of those days that you get every once in a while. I had a solid surface refinish to do and at the last minute he decided to put it off for a couple of weeks so he could take care of something else.

Now, I just don't have any excuses left to keep me from cleaning out the work truck and organizing everything back just the way I like it. Working is a real pleasure when you have everything in proper working order and in its correct place. I'll use the rest of the day to touch base with some folks I have been trying to catch up to for a while. As long as I don,t get any more unexpected days off I'll be able to actually enjoy this gift.

IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!

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Monday, February 11, 2008

Hi Macs Crack Repair. Crock Pot Again.



This is a LG Hi Macs countertop that has a nasty crack that goes out in three directions. Fun.


This is another one of those Crock Pots being used with no protection, from the heat I mean. Some time the countertop cracks while someone is around. This time it did and it just about gave the homeowner a heart attack.

More often than not, people tell me that the countertop cracked in the middle of the night, hours after they had used something hot on it.

Here's the crack.






The crack is all gone.



You probably would like to see pictures of the actual process used to makethe crack repair. One of these days I will post some of those pics for you but for now I don't have any decent ones to post. (Just don't tell anybody how we do it. It's our little secret.)

IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!

IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU DON'T LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!

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Thursday, February 7, 2008

Cooktop Cutout Crack Repair

This is a Formica Solid Surface countertop. It has a pretty severe crack coming from the cutout for the cooktop. This job is not covered under warranty because there is no heat tape around the cooktop cutout. The metal foil heat tape is a requirement around cooktops. No matter who the manufacturer of the countertop material is, if there is not any heat tape then no company will cover the repair under their warranty.




There are also not any corner blocks in the corners of the cutout, although I forgot to take a picture showing the absence of the block. The corner blocks serve the purpose of strengthening the corners and helping to prevent cracks from developing. The absence of these blocks will in most cases cause your warranty to be null and void. Since this is the responsibility of the countertop fabricator and not the homeowner, some companies will opt to pay for the repair and then back charge the fabricator. This is up to each company to decide how to proceed with these types of situations.


I made the repair and it came beautifully, as we knew it would. After making the repair we also made a slightly larger radius in the corner which helps to dissapate (did I spell that right?) the heat from the corner a little more. In addition, we also added the corner block to this affected corner to beef it up a little bit and make it less likely to crack in the future.



Finally, we added the required heat tape and reinstalled the cooktop and called it a day. The homeowner could not believe that there was not trace of a repair ever being made. That is how it is supposed to be when a repair is made. As long as we have dye lot match material, which we did on this one, then that is the way it will always be.

IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!

IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU DON'T LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!

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Friday, February 1, 2008

Tips to Keep Your Solid Surface Countertops Scratch Free

Solid Surface countertops are beautiful and durable. They can take a lot of use but after a while they do tend to get scratched up from it. Luckily, they can be refinished and brought back to brand new condition by a skilled repair specialist or fabricator. Even so, there are a few things that you can do to make those costly visits from the repair man happen a little less often.


*Use placemats under all dishes when serving meals. A lot of dishes have a rough bottom and they will scratch the countertop when they are slid around on the surface.


*Put felt on the bottom of all ceramic containers. Sugar, flour, coffee containers that are ceramic, and really almost anything else that is ceramic, usually are rough on the bottom. They are as rough as 120 grit sandpaper and they can be mean on some countertops.


*Don't use any abrasive cleaners. Abrasive cleaners such as Comet have just enough grit in them to scratch the tops. The severity of the scratching will vary with the color of the tops and how much direct sunlight they get. Normally, the darker colors show this type of scratching more than the medium or busy colors.


*Even though you were told that you could, don't use Scotch Brite or other scouring pads on your countertop. At least not by hand. If you have a small orbital sander then go for it. Otherwise, you will scratch your top with Scotch Brite or abrasive pads. It works great in a solid surface sink because the sink is not so influenced by the light. Your countertop is flat and picks up more light to expose the scratching.



Follow these tips and your tops will stay prettier, longer.


IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!

IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU DON'T LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!

Learn to lay tile in 6 days with these simple to follow videos!